Pantang Hospital staff call off strike

Workers of the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital have ended their three-day sit down strike to protest against the massive encroachment of the hospital’s lands.

The strike, which began on Monday10 July, was called off on Wednesday 12 July following the Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, intervening to stop the developers from building on the land while they find a lasting solution to the problem.

The hospital staff embarked on a demonstration on Wednesday, after which the Minister met them in a closed-door meeting with the management of the hospital and some selected staff.

The Head of Staff, Elvis Akuamoah after the said meeting addressing the media assured that they would resume work on Thursday 13 July following the Minister’s show of commitment to settle the matter.

“We are encouraged by the fact that he [Health Minister] considers this as a very important matter and he said that he hasn’t seen any situation where individuals and private developers should take over the frontage of a hospital.

“In its wider consultation, he has had some sort of agreement with the one who is selling the land that government has interest in the land fronting the hospital and so temporarily they should halt the development and he should also talk to his colleagues who are in the sale of the stretch fronting the hospital to halt as they go into discussions to see the way forward. But ultimately there is some commitment to acquire the land fronting the hospital and we are happy. So tomorrow we are back to work.”